Finding aid for the Florence K. Harding Diary, Correspondence, and Financial Records Collection

Biography of Florence Kling Harding

Former First Lady Florence K. Harding was born on June 15, 1860 to Amos Kling and Louisa Bouton in Marion, Ohio. She married Warren G. Harding on July 8, 1891 in Marion Ohio. Harding was her second husband. She would greatly assist him in both his professional and political careers, culminating in Harding's election to the United States Presidency in 1921. She served as First Lady from March 4, 1921 through August 2, 1923 when her husband died in office. She died at the age of 64 on November 21, 1924 at White Oaks Sanitarium in Marion, Ohio from kidney failure.

Florence Kling Harding was the eldest child of Amos Kling and Louisa Bouton. Her father was a hardware store owner, real estate developer, banker, and local investor in Marion, Ohio. She attended the Union School in Marion, Ohio completing Primary School and three years of High School from 1866 to 1876. She was instructed by both male and female teachers in the classical subjects of math, science, rhetoric, philosophy, history, surveying, and several languages. She attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music from 1877-1878 with the aid of her father as a practical method of enabling "earning her own living in case she were ever thrown upon her own resources." Throughout her early life, Florence's father provided substantial opportunities to develop a keen mind for business and finance while working in his hardware store and assisting in the collection of rents from his real estate holdings. In March of 1880, at the age of 19, Florence would elope with Atherton DeWolfe. Though there is no official record of the marriage certificate in the Marriage License Ledgers of either Columbus or Marion; the couple held themselves in the community of Galion as a married couple, meeting the requirements for a common law marriage in Ohio. Two legal records authenticate the couple's marriage. The first is a birth certificate for their son Eugene Marshall DeWolfe born September 22, 1880, while the second is their Divorce Decree dated June 12, 1886 on the grounds of "Gross neglect of duty." Eugene Marshal DeWolfe is Florence's only child and would grow up as the legal ward of her father Amos Kling. Florence would remain involved in Eugene's life even after his death in 1915 by insuring financial support for his children Eugenia and George. How to acknowledge these Grand Children would become an internal issue during her later marriage to Warren G. Harding, particularly once he sought the Republican Party's Nomination for President Florence would marry future President Warren Gameliel Harding on July 8, 1891 in Marion, Ohio. Harding was the owner of the Marion Star newspaper. Historians are unsure how the two actually met. What is known is that Florence was instrumental in Harding's business and political success. The best example of this occurs early in their marriage when Warren seeks medical treatment at the Kellogg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. While he is away, Florence assumes the Business Manager's position when the previous manager suddenly quits. Under her administration the Marion Star would expand its circulation, modernize production, and globalize content. She would repeat this assistance again during Warren G. Harding's political campaigns for State Senate, Lieutenant Governorship, U.S. Senate, and ultimately the Presidency. During Harding's administration he would routinely solicit Florence's advice and often defer completely to her judgement. The most notable examples of this are in regards to cabinet appointments and handling the press. As First Lady, Florence would champion women's issues, World War I wounded veteran's treatment, and animal rights. Even after Harding's death in August, 1923, Florence would exert significant political agency in Calvin Coolidge's early administration, and attempt to preserve her husband's legacy amid the Teapot Dome Scandal Congressional Hearings. Florence would retire to the White Oaks Sanitarium in Marion, Ohio at the behest of her friend and longtime doctor Charles Sawyer in 1924. She dies on November 21, 1924, only a few months after Doctor Charles Sawyer.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of materials relating to Florence K. Harding's life as the wife of United States President Warren G. Harding. Materials include her "Diary," Divorce Decree from Henry DeWolfe, financial records, newspaper clippings, letters, correspondence, address book, and items pertaining to President Warren G. Harding's State Funeral arrangements.

Materials in this archive cover the period from 1886 to 1923 in Florence K. Harding's life. The largest concentration of materials is from her time as First Lady of the United States of America covering the period beginning January 1921 and ending August 8, 1923. The collection features both private and official correspondence to and from Florence K. Harding. The bulk of her private correspondence is between Florence K. Harding and her brother Clifford B. Kling or her daughter-in-law Mrs. Esther Mezger. Her official correspondence covers topics such as political appointments, receipt or return of gifts presented to the President and First Lady, reports from political allies on areas of interest to Florence K. Harding, invitations to speak or attend various organizations events, and petitions for intervention in specific affairs like China, the Girl Scouts, or Ireland. The collection's financial records include documents chronicling the payment of taxes, renewal and modifications of insurance policies, payment of goods or services received, and accrued interest on accounts owned or managed by Florence K. Harding. The items pertaining to President Warren G. Harding's State Funeral include condolence letters and lists of floral arrangements received from various individuals, political groups, or nations. The collection's newspaper clippings are of two types. Those contemporary to Florence K. Harding's life as First Lady primarily reflect international opinion of the United States. Those written after her death are included to provide a historiographical perspective on Florence K. Harding. Materials in this collection may be either handwritten or typed. The majority of handwritten materials reside in her Private Materials. Her Official Correspondence generally features handwritten letters to Florence K. Harding and copies of typed responses from her in return.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

All pertinent copyright laws apply to reproduction of published materials in the collection; researchers must independently obtain permission from the copyright holder. Unpublished materials in the collection may be reproduced as long as credit is provided to the National First Ladies Library.

Restrictions on Access

Collection is viewable under supervision, please notify staff 48 hours in advance when requesting access. Due to the age of the collection, nitrile rubber gloves must be worn while handling materials.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

[Item Name, Folder Name, Series Divider], Florence Kling Harding 1860-1924 Collection, National First Ladies Library Archives.

Detailed Description of the Collection